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The AIH transcript for March 06, 2025

For more episodes of this podcast, please click this link.

NIL KÖKSAL: Hello, I'm Nil Köksal.

CHRIS HOWDEN: Good evening, I'm Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[theme]

CH: Tonight:

NK: Steeling themselves. A worker at a car factory in Windsor, Ontario -- where his wife is also an employee -- tells us the ups and downs of the trade war has left him anxious, agitated, and aggravated.

CH: The unwelcome mat. A group of American and Canadian mayors were supposed to have a meeting at the White House. But before they got to D.C., the Canadian mayors were disinvited.

NK: Out via inbox. He served 20 years in the U.S. Army, and had a job serving other veterans. Then, the father of four opened a work email and discovered he'd been fired -- effective immediately.

CH: The true North, strong and free. Ottawa will spend more than two billion dollars on military hubs in Canada's North -- and the Premier of Nunavut says, with the current threats to our sovereignty, it's long past time to make the Arctic secure.

NK: A breath of fresh Ayers. No one conjured vibes or played the vibraphone like the late Roy Ayers -- who combined funk with jazz to joyous effect.

CH: And...a tenses stand-off. His wife decided to set up a table on the street to talk to the public about the finer points of language, and he decided to make a movie about it -- called Rebel With A Clause. [NK chuckles]

CH: As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that has a flair for the grammatic.

Part 1: Stellantis Worker, Veterans Affairs Cuts, ‘Rebel With A Clause’

Stellantis Worker

Guest: Jayson Mercier

CH: It's not a solution, but it is a reprieve. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive action today that will delay some tariffs on Mexico and Canada for one month. It follows a similar reprieve the U.S. offered yesterday, following pressure from the big three American automakers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. There's not much relief for Canadian autoworkers, however. Especially given how it was presented to Americans.

SOUNDCLIP

KAROILINE LEAVITT: He told them that they should get on it. Start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America, where they will pay no tariff. That's the ultimate goal.

CH: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaking on President Trump's behalf at a press conference yesterday. Jayson Mercier has worked at the Stellantis Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario for 25 years. We reached him in Windsor, Ontario.

NK: Jayson, how have things been feeling at the plant over the last few weeks?

JAYSON MERCIER: Yeah, pretty uneasy. The mood in the plant is, is not very good today. Just before I left for work today, we found out, you know, it could be a rumour. There's a lot of rumours floating. So, we have to make sure that we, we know what's rumour and what's real. But we, the rumor we heard before we left work today is that they're stopping our trucks at the border today, so.

NK: And what will that mean?

JM: That would mean that they're not accepting our tires. So, you know, it'll mean to shut us down. You know, if they can't take our cars, we can only build so many and hide so many before we have to shut down. So, I don't know, you know, day-to-day, it's an emotional rollercoaster, you know? My wife works there as well. So, it's, it's been really, really a tough road for us, you know, trying to figure out what we're going to do if, if so happens the plant does close, you know?

NK: As you try to get through all of that uncertainty, and it's been weeks of that already, but then you also hear the white House saying to automakers, move your business here, move your business to the U.S. What kind of reaction does that evoke?

JM: Well, that's exactly the problem. You know, when they're trying to lure my jobs over there, they're trying to take my livelihood away. So, you can imagine what the mood in the plant is. You know, nobody's really coming to our defence. Nobody's informing us as to what's going on day-to-day. In all fairness, our union is doing the best they can, but even they don't know what's going on day-to-day, you know? Every day is a new statement put out. So, it's a, it's a very challenging time for us. Very uneasy, very not sure about our future. I got five years to go until I retire. I'm really hoping that I can make it that long, really.

NK: And even as they say, you know, your problems will be solved to the automakers if you move your business, all of your business to the U.S., realistically, how much could happen in 30 days?

JM: I'm a realist, so I know that they've already got plants in the United States that are idling, okay? So, this tooling is very easy to pick up and move. It ain't going to take them long. If they want to, if they choose to move the operations elsewhere, it won't take a long to get started. So, you know, you remember back in pre-2008 when Mexico took all of our jobs, took all GM plants and a lot of the Ford plants The Mexican government was rolling out the red carpet for these corporations and paying for all this stuff, so shareholders love that. So, Donald Trump, all he has to do is roll out the red carpet for this corporation and the shareholders will jump at it.

NK: Ontario Premier Doug Ford, as you've likely heard, said the 30-day reprieve is, quote, unacceptable. He says if auto tariffs go ahead at all, assembly lines are going to be shut down on both sides of the border. Is the premier accurately echoing and addressing your concerns?

JM: Well, I mean, he's trying. Thirty days is certainly not enough. But the reality is, is what is he, who is he fighting for? Does he want 60 days for these corporations to leave, or 30 days? I don't think any of them. I think we got to do retaliatory, retaliatory tariffs immediately.

NK: He said, he said that they will, that there's going to be energy tariffs. You know, they're not, they're not, they're going to cut off the electricity supply to, to the states that that Ontario provides to. He says you know, partial measures aren't, aren't going to do it, right? Take the tariffs off the table entirely is what he's saying, or Monday, those --

JM: Yeah, we got to hit them where it hurts. We got to hit them right back in the pocketbook. That's the only language they understand. Unfortunately, you know, we got to charge them four times the amount for the hydro that they're using, I guess. I mean, when the consumer starts to have to pay, then I guess that's when things are going to start changing. You know, and I just want to add in, you know, our federal government is asleep at the wheel. There's nobody there. There's nobody you can even contact to talk to. Everybody's on an answering machine.

NK: So, you haven't, what you've heard from the prime minister this week, the tough talk and the promises to support you, you're not, you don't feel that, it's, it's enough?

JM: But what has he done, though? Well, what has he actually done, though? Has he actually, actually does anything other than just talk tough? Like, the prorogued government. There's nobody out there fighting for us right now. You know, when you say that Doug Ford says 30 days isn't enough. I agree with that. But the reality is, is who is he actually fighting for? You want to give the corporations more time to leave? Is that what the plan is? Like, you know, what are they, what are they doing for the workers?

NK: We know ministers, including, you know, at the highest levels, have been speaking with their U.S., the U.S. counterparts trying to get these, these tariffs taken off the table. So, so they're doing that work. We're hearing, you know, the response from, from their meetings.

JM: Yeah, I mean I'm glad that they're all behind the scenes doing work. I mean that's what we expect them to do. But I, I, we just don't see it. As people, as citizens, as workers, we just don't see it. We just don't feel it, you know? We feel like we're left in the dark. It's, it's a struggling time for us, you know? It's hard to even think about going to buy something. We're thinking about buying a new minivan for our family, but that just can't happen now. We don't know if we're going to have a job in a month from now. And that's times two for us, right? So, if we both lose our job at 25 years, who's going to hire us? And who's going to be hiring? You know, and the fact that I even got to think about that at 25 years is very frustrating.

NK: Well, what are you going to do --

JM: And the fact that the company is not reassuring us that we're going to stay here is even more frustrating, right? So, yeah.

NK: Yeah. How do you plan in the midst of this kind of uncertainty?

JM: Yeah, well, it's hard to plan. I mean, I can, I can, I guess, I can apply for jobs, but who's going to hire us? I mean, unemployment's going to be the only way to go at this moment. The only thing that's easing our minds a little bit is, is the fact that we have a very strong union, and that they are staying in contact with us and trying to, you know, work their way through this. We're all learning as we go. That's all I got to say. [chuckling]

NK: Well, Jayson, I hope you get answers soon. I appreciate your time today.

JM: Thank you very much.

CH: Jayson Mercier has worked at the Stellantis Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario for 25 years. We reached him in Windsor earlier today.

[electronic]

Veterans Affairs Cuts

Guest: Luke Graziani

CH: Eighty thousand more employees of the U.S. Veterans Affairs department are going to lose their jobs. That's according to an internal memo from the department's chief of staff, who instructs his team to, quote, “move out aggressively, while taking a pragmatic and disciplined approach" to reach the goal. Luke Graziani served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, including two tours each in Iraq and Afghanistan, before signing on to work at the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx. He was laid off two weeks ago. Earlier this week, he attended the President's address to Congress as the guest of his Representative, Congresswoman Grace Meng. We reached him in New York City.

NK: Luke, how did you find out you were going to be out of a job?

LUKE GRAZIANI: So, I logged into my work email like I normally would on a regular day. On Friday, February 14th, at 8 a.m., I saw that there was an email saying that there was a notice of termination, and that's, that's how I found out.

NK: And you were in the, you know, people who are new to a job will know about probationary periods. You were just about to wrap that up.

LG: That's correct. I was about five weeks shy of completing my one-year probationary term.

NK: But your 20 years in the military, though. That was certainly not a probationary period. So, finding that out after two decades of service, how did that hit you?

LG: I was absolutely crushed. I raised my right hand and swore an oath when I accepted this position at the federal level. I thought that there was going to be some sense of stability and permanence to it, but it was all gone in just an email.

NK: What does all of this signal to you, or suggest to you, about how this administration is dealing with specifically Veterans Affairs?

LG: So, I think this suggests to me that folks like me, who accepted roles at the federal level, who are expecting some kind of stable job security, that there really isn't anymore. I found myself sitting at my desk, seeing the words in the notice of termination, and just wondering, like, what is happening? How and why? This is all really uncharted territory for a lot of people, and it just feels really, like, mishandled.

NK: And you're, you're a father. You have four children, if I'm not mistaken, right?

LG: I am, yes. I have one son and three daughters, ranging in age from 24 years old, all the way down to three years old.

NK: Oh wow. How, how are they dealing with all of this?

LG: They're all at, like, different stages in their lives. So, I get a lot of different reactions. But mostly, they're very supportive and very concerned about what's going to happen to me.

NK: What do you tell them?

LG: I tell them that, you know, I have a good education, I have a good resume, and I feel like I have a lot of folks on my side who are prepared to help me and support me.

NK: That's a good answer. That's a good dad answer, too.

LG: Thank you.

NK: Was this anything you were anticipating or thinking of as you headed into the voting booth last November? And you can tell us if you, if you'd like, how you voted?

LG: I think a lot of people don't understand that as a federal service employee, like, like I was, it's, it's less of a job and more of a calling. You have to, like I said, raise your hand and swear an oath to support and defend the constitution. Not necessarily the president. So for me, me personally, I don't think my vote particularly matters in this conversation. I just want to make sure that the president does the right thing by our country and takes care of us, whoever that might be. That's what I need.

NK: There are also those as, as you well know, who voted for, for Donald Trump, support this administration, and specifically support these kinds of moves. And they say that, you know, hard decisions have to be made to get the government's finances in order, to make it more efficient. And they may feel that it's unfortunate, but ultimately, it's necessary, and they think it's a good idea. What would you say to people who have that argument?

LG: I, I can't argue against a certain level of efficiency in any business, whether it's in the government or civilian business. You know, there are ways of doing things that make sense, and that are thoughtful and with care. And the way that I was terminated was not with any of those things in mind. There are processes in place that, that can make these kind of reductions in force, so to speak, that, that makes sense. And, you know, take care of the people on their way out, and make sure that we're not losing essential personnel who are, like, critical to, you know, different missions and different agencies.

NK: You were at the president's address as a guest of your representative, Grace Meng. I wonder what it felt like for you to be in that room?

LG: That was my very first experience of being in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill. Witnessing that firsthand was, was really interesting. It's hard to, I guess, get the tone and, and the vibe of the place through the television, but I certainly got all of that in person.

NK: And what was it?

LG: It really felt to me a bit of a show.

NK: A show that didn't sit well with you, it sounds like?

LG: No, I wasn't, I wasn't particularly feeling good about the, the type of show that was being put on. I think that, you know, you know, showcasing the people who, you know, put their lives on the line, and, and the kid with the cancer, those are real human people who are going to be impacted. Their lives are going to be affected by this. And I hope that they can walk away with a sense of positivity that, that their lives and things that happened to them were being recognized. But I, I wouldn't necessarily agree to, you know, put, put a cancer kid on display like that, and force people to stand and applaud, or not stand a applaud and then make a scene about that.

NK: Did you feel like a prop?

LG: Not necessarily. There were no cameras on me in the gallery. You probably wouldn't even be able to see me if, if there were. I was just another face in the crowd at that point.

NK: Ultimately, Luke, what personally do you feel the messages that these cuts send to, to veterans?

LG: I think, I think the message that is being sent is all of the sacrifices that I've made and my fellow veterans has made, it's not necessarily being respected or supported in a way that we always maybe have felt that we deserved. I gave 20 years of my life to my country. And in that moment when I saw the termination from my federal job, it really felt like I was just alone.

NK: Well, Luke, I hope you get some, some answers and some resolution soon. I really do appreciate your time. Thank you.

LG: Thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you.

CH: That was Luke Graziani -- who was laid off from a hospital run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs two weeks ago. We reached him in New York City.

[folk]

‘Rebel With A Clause’

Guests: Brandt Johnson, Ellen Jovin

CH: Viewers in Manhattan were this week given a nice treat, when it was shown in a theatre a movie that was made by Brandt Johnson about the woman Ellen Jovin, which is his wife. Some found themself effected profoundly by its illusions to a topic that so many of us are united by. Nope, I can't do that anymore. [NK laughs] I can’t do that. That’s too hard! I can make grammar mistakes. I often do. But I can't willfully make quite that many of them in just two sentences. Although if I did, I'm sure the aforementioned Ellen Jovin would correct me gently and generously -- and then we'd have a really wonderful conversation about our shared humanity. Because that's what happens over and over in the new documentary Rebel with a Clause. The film follows Ms. Jovin across the United States as she sets up what she calls a "grammar table" in random locations -- and speaks to passersby about the finer points of the English language.

SOUNDCLIP

WOMAN: I'm a huge Oxford comma person.

ELLEN JOVIN: Yes!

WOMAN: And it drives me crazy when --

EJ: You see, they don't put the comma before the final item.

WOMAN #2: I had to teach my ex-husband the difference between well and good, and I should have known that very minute that it would be ex someday.

CH: Just a small taste of what Ellen Jovin experiences all the time. She's the subject of the new documentary Rebel With a Clause -- directed by her husband Brandt Johnson. We reached them both in Cambridge, Massachusets.

NK: Oh, Ellen, I actually don't think she's wrong on that one. [ all laughing] That's hilarious. I mean, it sounds like you had so much fun with this, obviously. But if we go back to the beginning, Ellen, what inspired you to set up the grammar table in the first place?

EJ: Well, I'm a word person. I've always loved grammar. I love language I serially have studied languages for fun. And I was, I was finding that I was more and more online in this computer age, especially with the seductiveness of online language groups, where you can talk about esoteric grammar points with strangers around the world. And I just got sick of being on the computer so much, and I wanted to be out in the light and air. But I thought, hey, I could do roughly what I'm doing online, but out in the open with other human beings, and use language for, as the communication tool it's meant to be.

NK: Yeah. And how did you get people to approach you?

EJ: By sitting there with a sign that said "grammar table". [NK and EJ laugh].

NK: And it was, it was a magnet instantly.

EJ: It took me under a minute, I think about 30 seconds, to attract my first grammar visitor.

NK: And Brandt, how quickly did you realize that you should be recording this?

BRANDT JOHNSON: I guess a few weeks before that dawned on me, some, some handful of weeks. I knew right away that it was something really special. But as I kept seeing these interactions, I was sitting on, sitting on a nearby bench, or some other place nearby, taking in the interactions, seeing how funny how human, and connected these interactions were when there was so much else that was so dividing and really difficult in the world. It just seemed like a fun, beautiful, happy thing that I wanted to share with the world more broadly.

NK: And, Ellen, we heard the clip from the trailer about the Oxford comma. I'm sure that comes up, and it's hotly debated and complained about, but what are some of the others that came up?

EJ: Apostrophes come up a lot. People, you know, use, the use of apostrophes to form plurals. Subject verb agreement. You know, the the placement of the apostrophe in Y'all -- [chuckling] that kind of thing. But, but also, I mean, everything from language learning, to poetry, to people, you know, it says grammar, but it's really just, it's meant to be a celebration of language. And to provide a forum for people to express their curiosity about and enthusiasm for all the things that, you know, that involve words in our lives.

NK: You mentioned y'all. We have another clip from the film that we want to play for our listeners. This comes from an exchange you had in Alabama.

SOUNDCLIP

MAN: The proper way to use y'all. Y'all. Tell me, does the apostrophe go before or after the "a"?

MAN #2: It doesn't go at all. What are you talking about?

EJ: Before.

MAN: Oof!

MAN #2: Thank you! I agree with that. I hate [bleep] because they use it after the "a". I can't!

NK: First of all, I didn't know there was, there was even any concern about that. It has to come before the "a" and after the, after the "y".

EJ: Oh no, there's a lot of discussion about that. [EJ and BJ laugh]

NK: Oh wow! You know what, people get the, I'm sure you know this, too. People get the idea that, there's this misconception that people who care about grammar and loved, love words are very, very serious and very boring. If those clips didn't, didn't tell us otherwise, your bedazzled t-shirt that I saw in the coverage as you were signing autographs, Ellen, suggests otherwise.

EJ: I'm wearing a bedazzled shirt right now.

NK: What does it say?

EJ: "Grammar is groovy".

NK: [chuckling] Grammar is groovy. We mentioned that was in Alabama. You didn't just stay in New York City, obviously. You took it actually to every single state across, across the United States. Tell us a bit more, though, about that encounter in Alabama.

BJ: One of the things that I loved most about that encounter was that as these guys walked up to the table, they were not the stereotypical grammar-loving person that you might have in your mind. And they turned out to be one of the most engaged visitors we had in the whole journey. I was rolling the camera uninterrupted for an hour with them. It was just, it was delightful. So, that, that just, what that did for a preconception of what a grammar person was, was just beautiful for me. It sort of exploded that idea, okay, this person looks like this. Therefore, he or she must be this. And it's just not the way.

NK: It's particularly timely now, and particularly in the United States, I'd imagine.

EJ: Yeah. I mean, even when the grammar table started in September of 2018, and there was already a lot of divisiveness and rancor. And it became clear pretty quickly that it was about something that was deeper to my heart and to, also to the, to the feelings of visitors who came up to it as a way to build community and speak across differences about something that we have in common. And that need has only increased, which is not something that I anticipated, but it feels very dear to my heart. And I think, Brant, you would say the same thing as something to offer, a place for people to meet, and laugh, and not be mad.

NK: Yeah, that's quite beautiful.

BJ: It is. If, I find Ellen's spirit in this and her approach to the whole table really a beautiful thing in the film. It's a, it's a grammar road trip movie, sure. But what really emerged over the development of the film is that heart of it, that it's really about people connecting across differences.

NK: And how are people receiving the documentary?

BJ: It has been so well-received that we've had three public screenings now. They're all sold out, and people just were laughing so hard throughout the film. They were laughing at the things they would have, or laughed over the things they might have laughed had they not been laughing. [all laughing] And they're expressing so many meaningful, kind of profound responses to the film afterwards to each of us. It's just been a joy.

NK: Well, I'm looking forward to, to watching it. Ellen, Brandt, a real pleasure speaking with both of you.

EJ: Thank you so much for your time, and for caring about grammar.

NK: Oh my gosh, do we ever. Thanks, guys.

BJ: Thank you.Thanks. Bye.

CH: Ellen Jovin is the subject of the new documentary Rebel With a Clause, which was directed by her husband, Brandt Johnson. We reached them both in Cambridge, Massachusets.

[country]

Roy Ayers Obit

CH: It takes a certain attitude to call your band "Roy Ayers Ubiquity". Confidence, obviously: you're saying your music will be everywhere. But Roy Ayers himself had a more cosmic explanation. He told the website The Historymakers the name was "wonderful", because, quote, "...I can tell everybody I can be everywhere at the same time." Unquote. And the name was also prophetic: since hip-hop producers discovered Roy Ayers Ubiquity, it really has been everywhere. Roy Ayers -- vibraphonist, bandleader, and pioneer of a whole new kind of jazz -- died on Tuesday. He was 84. A vibraphone, for the uninitiated, is like a big xylophone. And mr. Ayers started playing it as a kid, inspired by Lionel Hampton. And he mastered it: he used to show off by laying a towel over top of it, so he couldn't see the notes, and then playing a song note-perfectly. The nickname for the vibraphone is "the vibes", and Roy Ayers was a master of those as well: after playing relatively straightforward jazz on his own and with other bandleaders in the '60s, he formed Roy Ayers Ubiquity and started exploring jazz-funk that was groovier and lighter -- but heavy on the vibes. At the time, jazz purists considered that heretical. But in the decades since, the songs from that era have been sampled over and over by artists like Tyler, The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, and Mary J. Blige, also among dozens of others. The great Roy Ayers died this week at the age of 84.

[eerie instrumental]

Part 2: CAN/U.S. Mayors Meeting, Arctic Hubs

CAN/U.S. Mayors Meeting

Guest: Stéphane Boyer

CH: They were gearing up for a high-stakes meeting at the White House. But Canadian mayors have been left out in the cold. They travelled to D.C. as part of an annual Great Lakes Day event that includes a perennial trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. A trip that was all the more pivotal for obvious reasons because of this year's unprecedented trade war. Montreal mayor Valérie Plante and St. Catharines mayor Mat Siscoe had been selected to represent the group. And then, last night -- less than 48 hours ahead of tomorrow's planned meeting -- they found out they'd been uninvited. Both mayors are members of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative -- as is Stéphane Boyer, the mayor of Laval, who's with them in Washington. And that's where we reached him.

NK: Mayor, the white House says this is just a matter of what they describe as diplomatic protocol. Do you believe that?

STÉPHANE BOYER: You know, in the actual context, I'm not surprised. I think it's a political choice. But what's important is that American citizens, and American business, and American mayors, you know, put pressure on the government to change their mind. And that's the main objective of the mission. And we can achieve it with or without an actual meeting with the White House.

NK: But that face-to-face meeting was, would have been helpful, I'm sure. They told you they had to do background checks.

SB: Yeah. I mean, it was one meeting amongst many others. So, the, the excuse they gave is that they didn't have the time to do the background check on the Canadian mayors. But, you know, I'm not going to be kidding myself. It's, it had been planned for more than a month, and it's not the first time that the Great Lakes Alliance do meetings here, including the White House. So, to me, it's, it's political.

NK: It's an annual meeting, to let our listeners know, that involves mayors who are part of the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Cities Alliance. Your, your colleagues, fellow mayors, Valérie Plante and Mat Siscoe, were going to be there at the white House, had things gone ahead. What were they planning to say?

SB: Well, the, the main message we're trying, trying to pass is to explain how this is going to impact our economy on both sides of the border. So, half of the delegation is Canadian, the other half is American. And what's very interesting is that, you know, we have with us a Republican mayor from the States that the they are afraid of the tariffs. They are afraid of how it's going to hurt the job and the economy of their city. So, we go along with them meeting senators and congresswoman and congressmen. But what we see is that, you know, even the Republicans don't always understand what's going on with their president. But I believe that, you know, at some point, when Americans will see that their, the, the expense, the daily expenses, are going up, and the cost of living is going up. If we see the, the markets going down, those are the things that I believe will speak to the president to come back on his decision. And everybody's saying how it's a bad decision.

NK: One of the American mayors who is on your side -- a Republican as well, Austin Bonta -- represents Portage, Indiana. He spoke with, with our colleagues at CBC News Montreal. We'll listen to a bit of what he said.

SOUNDCLIP

AUSTIN BONTA: I think a lot of Americans don't really know, how do I put it? If I were to call up a friend of mine and say, hey, I'm in Hamilton, Canada, you know? Or, hey, I'm in Saint Catherine's, they couldn't necessarily place on a map. So, I think that when it comes to how Americans think of Canada, I think that there's a lot more to learn. As far as comments about annexation and all of that. I think that it's really important to understand the importance of Canadian sovereignty. And two countries can have a very close relationship, whether it's including a relationship that involves travel and trade, without the needs to be politically united.

NK: I'm sure it must be reassuring, Mayor, to hear that. But given what you're dealing with, with this particular administration, with this particular president, can an alliance of mayors really hope to achieve much?

SB: Well, you know, I think we all need to cooperate in this war effort. If we want to make the American government move on this subject, it has to come from, you know, each side, all the sides. So, we're just trying to play our part and the pressure that we can exercise. So, it's, you know, it's a, it's a team effort.

NK: In the meetings you're having with other officials in Washington this week, do you feel that you're connecting and getting through to them? And then, do you feel that they are actually going to be able to get through to the U.S. president?

SB: What we're seeing is that, you know, some Republicans, they, they're just following with their eyes closed what the president is saying. But other Republicans do understand how it's going to harm the economy. how, it's, it's going to harm both countries. Right now, the president is still in the honeymoon phase, and nobody dares contesting him out loud in public. But in private, some are even excusing themselves. Maybe it's an anecdote, but even passing the border, coming in the States, the, the agents that was working on the American border was excusing himself, saying he loves Canada. And how, you know, it's such a great country. So, I think that, you know, a lot of people are on our sides. And when key indicators like the economy or political popularity will start to go down in the States, we might see some breaches within the Republican Party. And I think that's the biggest hope we have that is that, you know, pressure. We come from inside.

NK: Well, if this is the honeymoon, Mayor, [chuckle] what is the rest of this marriage going to look like?

SB: [chuckling] Yeah, I don't know. It's hard to know.

NK: You have said in the past that 58 per cent of Laval's exports are going to the United States. So, as you deal with all of the uncertainty, you know, the one-month pause for now, what that might mean. How do you, as a mayor, try to help the businesses that rely so much on revenue from those U.S. exports? What do you have in store, or planned to help them?

SB: Well, I think it's a wake-up call for, for Canada. We, you know, we used to say we should not put all our eggs in the same basket. Unfortunately, that's what we did. But, hopefully, this will teach us that we need to diversify our exportation. We need to build stronger relations with Europe and with other countries. And that's what I want to do with the business in Laval.

NK: Great to have you on our show, Mayor. Thank you for your time.

SB: It's my pleasure. I wish you a very nice day.

NK: You, too.

CH: Stéphane Boyer is the mayor of Laval, Quebec. We reached him today in Washington, D.C.

[uptempo]

Giant Snow Fort

CH: Most of us see excess snowfall as, you know, excessive -- a nuisance. But Karl Dupéré-Richer sees it as an opportunity. And for the Quebec sculptor, this winter has been full of opportunity. He started building a giant snow fort -- it’s really more of a snow castle, or snow citadel -- in his front yard at the beginning of the season. And after a historic four-day snowfall last month he made some improvements. Now, the colossal structure towers over passersby. The CBC's Kwabena Oduro paid its creator a visit.

SOUNDCLIP

KARL DUPÉRÉ-RICHER: I pick up the snow from my driveway and some of the street, and I raise a wall. And after raising the walls, I filled the wall with, with loose snow from the driveway. And I raised the castle like this.

KWABENA ODURO: Why did this come about? Why, what were you inspired by to make this castle?

KDR: Well, I, I always like medieval, medieval themes. And also, the, the movie La Guerre des tuques, too, indeed. So yes, that's pretty much it. And I still keep my child spirit.

KO: Yeah, child spirit.

KDR: Yeah.

KO: So this, when people think of La Guerre des tuques, the snowball fight scenes are what come to mind. Do you throw snowballs in here too?

KDR: Not very much. But my son did it once in a while. So, yeah. And I had visitors while building it. And people ask me to climb upside, and some dads and kids have thrown balls together. [chuckling] So, the people are playing more inside of the, inside of it than I do, so. [chuckle].

KO: How often do you play in your own castle?

KDR: Not that much. I am just building it. That's the fun part, is building. I like building stuff.

KO: Because you're an artist.

KDR: I'm a sculptor. And I do some larger sculpture, so mostly with recycled material. And, and it's kind of the same thing. It's, it's a, it's something that mostly people consider like trash, snow. And I consider it like a construction material. So, it's, and it's free. [chuckling] So, why not use it?

CH: CBC Montreal's Kwabena Oduro, speaking with local snow fort builder extraordinaire, Karl Dupéré-Richer.

[industrial]

Arctic Hubs

Guest: P.J. Akeeagok

CH: Canada is getting ready to defend the North. Today, Defence Minister Bill Blair announced that the federal government plans to spend $2.67 billion dollars over 20 years to establish "military hubs" in Iqaluit, Yellowknife, and Inuvik as part of its defence strategy. They will not be military bases, but airstrips, logistics facilities and equipment storage facilities meant to increase the military’s presence in the region. This, of course, comes amid a shifting geopolitical landscape -- and threats to our sovereignty from our neighbours to the south. During the announcement in Iqaluit today, Minister Blair talked about the moment we're in.

SOUNDCLIP

BILL BLAIR: Your fellow citizens throughout Canada have really come to understand and appreciate the importance of investing in this region. I think it's a, it's a rare opportunity, a generational opportunity for our country and nation building. To make investments and to really assert we've always been proud that we are an Arctic nation. We need to now express our pride by making investments in the North. Investments that are work for the people of the North. Investments that will strengthen our resiliency, and strengthen our country, and to truly live up to the promise which is Canada.

CH: P.J. Akeeagok is the premier of Nunavut. He was at today's announcement. We reached him in Iqaluit.

NK: Premier, do you agree with Minister Blair that, that this is the moment where Canadians are waking up to the importance of the North?

P.J. AKEEAGOK: Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with the statement that Minister Blair mentioned in terms of this is a moment. We've never seen the threats imposed on Canada where it actually has united as, right from coast to coast, to coast. And so, the announcement of the northern operational hub supports here in the Arctic has been one we've continued to, to lobby for to see investments in our communities. And we have to untap the potential of the North. And it starts with these types of investments.

NK: You've been talking about this for, for a long time, though. So, is it, today is, is progress on those fronts. But is, is it frustrating that it's taken this, and it's taken what the U.S. president is doing and saying to get here?

PA: It has been one where we've had many conversations, but it's really been inspirational to see the support from coast to coast. But it is one where time is running out. We need to see shovels on the ground, and we need to see these types of infrastructure come up in our communities.

NK: Minister Blair also spoke about how climate change is creating new shipping routes, uncovering natural resources, and he says that leads to increased competition from adversarial nations. How do those countries factor in, and those realities factor in to your concerns at this stage?

PA: It does concern me. It really does in terms of that vulnerability that other nations around the world are really looking at the Arctic for its resources. And that is something that I had mentioned many times as well that it's really Canadians as an Arctic nation, we have to invest within ourselves. We had discussed our commitment around two per cent NATO being an opportunity where we could expedite that. And that has been the, the support has been from every premier across this country. As you know, we have the Northwest Passage right here in the territory. I am actually born and raised in Grise Fiord, which is the most northern community in North America, right here in Canada, which is on the, right on the the northern tip of the Northwest Passage. And so, as the world's starting to pay attention to the potential opportunity with climate change and the opening up of the Northwest Passage with the ice melting, now is our time to ensure that we bring investments to the North to assert our sovereignty.

NK: And we should be clear what was discussed today. They're not military bases, these military hubs. What will they include? What will they look like?

PA: Yeah, that's the discussions we're having with Minister Blair. The, the, the one thing we've really pushed for is that any investment that is coming here needs to be dual use. Just, I really want to thank the Canadian Rangers in particular. They are the eyes and ears of the North. And they are our heroes in our communities. So, I just wanted to mention that. Discussions that we had around search and rescue is one where we see that being a key part of what this could be. And yeah, those conversations will continue with Minister Blair in terms of exactly defining what these are.

NK: And for those, Premier, who think back to the the history of the relationship with the federal government and the military in the North, that certainly has not been, always been positive. Forced relocations, family separations, the killing of sled dogs. What would you say to those who are a bit reluctant about this kind of partnership?

PA: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that strikes personal to me when you talk about forced relocations. The community I just mentioned where I'm born and raised of Grise Fiord was created by forced relocation, specifically to the discussion we're having about Canada asserting its sovereignty. So, I know personally, including my family, the sacrifice Innuit have made. And there are many families that really paid the heavy price around what they have experienced. So, the history obviously has not always been the greatest, but it is through these types of dialogs of ensuring that the Innuit are a part of the decision making, are part of the table as options are being discussed is something that I've always stressed. And that's something as we move forward with the reconciliation being at the forefront, I think we really have moved far in terms of addressing those historic wrongs. But as we are looking at this, as Bill, Minister Blair had mentioned in that clip, this is a generation opportunity. And when you start looking at the potential for economic reconciliation, allowing Innuit to be at the forefront, making sure that the priorities that they bring to the table are recognized, I think it's a, it's a major step forward.

NK: It really does sound like a turning point on many levels.

PA: Um-hmm, it really is. Is it going to fix everything? No. But it is through demonstrating through action that, that will get us to continue to move forward, and making sure that those investments that are being made not only benefit the, the military. It's making sure that the benefits comes to the community. And when you're looking at that Nunavut, where you have over 85 per cent of the population being Innuit, it's imperative that we see investments into housing, into connectivity, into electricity. And we've identified those nation-building opportunities that I think could unlock the true potential of nation-building here in the North.

NK: I'm very glad we could speak, Premier. Thank you.

PA: Yeah. Thanks so much for having me on your program, Nil.

CH: P.J. Akeeagok is the premier of Nunavut. He was in Iqaluit.

[hip-hop]

Part 3: CDN Russian Spy, D.C. Exhibit Cancellation

SOD: Al Green Censure

CH: On Tuesday, as President Trump spoke before a joint session of Congress, Democratic Congressman Al Green stood, held his cane high, and shouted that the President had no mandate to cut funding to Medicare. The response from Speaker Mike Johnson was swift.

SOUNDCLIP

[cheering and clapping, yelling]

MIKE JOHNSON: Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House, and to cease any further disruptions. That's your warning [shouting all around] Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of the quorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the sergeant at arms [clapping all around] to restore order to the joint session. Mr. Green, take your seat. Take your seat, Sir.

AL GREEN: He has no mandate

MJ: Take your seat. Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the chair now directs the sergeant at arms to restore order. Remove this gentleman from the chamber. [clapping].

CH: Today, every Republican lawmaker in the House -- and 10 Democrats -- voted to censure Congressman Green. What happened next is our Sound of The Day.

SOUNDCLIP

MIKE JOHNSON: By its adoption of House Resolution 189, the House has resolved that Representative Al Green be censured. That Representative Al Green forthwith present himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure. And that Representative Al Green be censured with public reading of this resolution by the speaker. The House has come to order. The House has come to order. The house has come to order. Clear the well, please. Clear the well. The House has to continue its business.

CH: From the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today, that was our Sound of The Day.

[percussive]

CDN Russian Spy

Guest: John Kingman Phillips

CH: When Laken Pavan left Vancouver last spring, his family thought he was heading off to backpack through Europe. But instead of hostels and sightseeing, the 17-year-old found himself in Russian-occupied Ukraine—recruited, he says, by Russia’s Security Service to spy on Poland. Months later, after getting drunk in a Warsaw hotel bar, he confessed. And now, Mr. Pavan -- who’s now 18 -- is serving a 20-month sentence for espionage. John Kingman Phillips is the Pavan family's lawyer. We reached him in Toronto.

NK: John, when did your client's family find out that he had been arrested and that he'd been arrested for espionage?

JOHN KINGMAN PHILLIPS: I don't, I'm not sure the complete development of that, but it was very early on after he was taken into custody by the Polish authorities.

NK: And how did this case come to you? What did you make of it?

JKP: Well, interestingly, I have acted on a couple of similar cases. My focus is not on issues surrounding whether we should have any kind of sympathy for, or affection for Russia or whatever. That isn't what this case is about. In reality, it's a domestic problem in Canada. Laken was effectively groomed while he was here under the age of 17, and encouraged or allowed to leave the country at age 17, only to turn an adult by the time he got to Poland, where he was then, after he confessed, was then tried as an adult. And the problem is the family, Family is of the belief, and has some information that either of all of Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or the RCMP, had Laken on their radar before he left Canada.

NK: You believe signs were missed?

JKP: Yes, or missed or even well-known, and just allowed to play out.

NK: According to legal documents from Polish prosecutors that our CBC News colleagues obtained, your client was arrested in May 2024. And what kind of evidence did Polish authorities have to, to arrest him in the first place?

JKP: I don't know what they may or may not have received from Canadian authorities, but they certainly had the evidence of his confession. And I can't imagine that somebody floating around in that area of the world would not have had some level of monitoring by the local intelligence services as well.

NK: And what is he alleged to have done?

JKP: Well, they charged him with espionage in Poland. I'm not sure what their equivalent offence is over there, but it was espionage in our terms. But because I think of the guilty plea, he received a very I, in my view, at least, a proportionate sentence. The reality of it is, though, he should never have been allowed out of this country when he was under suspicion of being involved in that activity, if he was. And the inquiry that needs to be made is whether they knew him, knew what risk he posed, what threats were being made, or what he was planning to do while he was a youth. And they failed to apprehend him or warn his parents, and simply let him leave the country, where he could become bait for, trolling for Russian operatives.

NK: What have authorities here, if anything, said to you in response to, to, to what you're alleging?

JKP: Well, no one's responded to what we're talking about, except that during the course of, of interviews with the family, it was disclosed that, as they put it, he was on our radar before he left the country. The problem with what we have with our Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP, to the extent that's involved with national security, is there's marginal oversight in terms of figuring out what actually did they know? Because there's only three options. One, they didn't know enough. Two, they knew enough, but went and put the kid at risk because they didn't like the sentencing structure in Canada for youth criminal justice. Or the third thing is they wanted to send him across, where he would turn into an adult, and he'd either be paid for agents, or be charged and treated like an adult for the purposes of punishment.

NK: What mechanisms would they have to stop someone from crossing the border?

JKP: Well, depending on what level of information they had, if they had him talking to Russian agents and conspiring to get involved or support any way a foe like Russia, they could have charged with conspiracy and anti-conspiracy. Or they could have pulled him over and talk to his parents and get it shut down. And they didn't do that. And the Youth Criminal Justice Act says that for youth, the focus is not on punishment. It is on rehabilitation and reintegration. And he was denied that opportunity.

NK: Have you spoken to your client?

JKP: Not directly, no. His Polish lawyer is the one that we're relying on for communication from him.

NK: And what has he told you about how he's doing and what happens next?

JKP: The reports are that things are going well. They're trying to get him paroled, as I understand it, from his sentence. The anticipation is that might be sometime in September or maybe earlier that he might get out. That doesn't mean he immediately can return to Canada. And that's why we're relying on Global Affairs to negotiate a hurried return back to our country, where he can be rehabilitated and reintegrated into our country.

NK: Do you believe that, that, that's going to happen? That there's a likelihood of that happening?

JKP: The problem with repatriation in these circumstances is it's a highly bureaucratic process to look for equivalences of the charges, look for equivalency of the sentence, and then bring, bring him back on whatever terms. So, that does take time. I would hope that if he had to serve his full parole in Poland, he could then come home without issue.

NK: Polish authorities have described his sentence as, quote, extraordinarily lenient, unquote. What would you say?

JKP: Yeah. And I, I don't disagree. I think that's, I mean, I disagree to the extent that I believe he was a child when he started getting baited into all this. But even as an adult, he, his quick confession, the lack of taking material steps to effect any kind of real espionage, taking responsibility for what happened, I think they held it in favour. And I think they recognize his youth as well.

NK: There have been high-profile cases, but there have been, you know, a few of those cases. How often do you believe this kind of recruitment or coercion, as you've called it, is happening?

JKP: What every parent in this country should be aware of as their children are on social media, is it, it creates a very, very risk, risky platform for bad actors to coerce children into activities that are illegal or otherwise terroristic. And it's happening -- in my view, as far as I can tell -- every day. And, and you get on social media, if you don't have, particularly as a child, have a sense and understanding of your privacy, and the risks of not verifier and knowing who is on the other side of the phone or in the internet, you are at serious risk. And parents need to be aware of that.

NK: John, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

JKP: It's great talking to you, Nil.

CH: John Kingman Phillips is the Pavan family's lawyer. We reached him in Toronto.

[newsy theme]

NPR Research Librarian Obit

CH: For more than 20 years, Kee Malesky was a research librarian at NPR. And over that time, she gained a reputation for knowing everything. Ms. Malesky died on the weekend. She was 74. She was a kind of human encyclopedia: if a journalist or host needed an obscure fact, she would find it; if they needed to know how to pronounce a word, she was the final word. Here are NPR's Michel Martin, Leila Fadel, and Susan Stamberg paying tribute to their friend and colleague on The Morning Edition.

SOUNDCLIP

KEE MALESKY: Can we help you?

HOST: Turin or Torino?

KM: It's Turin.

HOST: Well, I missed the memo, I guess.

KM: Yeah. No, seriously. I did a little survey of other news organizations and discovered NBC and CNN will say Torino. But that most of the print media in the U.S. will say Turin, because that's the AP style.

HOST: But isn't, really, the name of the city Torino, Kee?

KM: Well, of course it is. But also, the name of the city is Moskva. And we've never said that.

MICHEL MARTIN: Kee Malesky was a research librarian at NPR for more than 20 years. She could tell you why the rockets in the Star Spangled Banner had a red glare.

KM: Well, that's congreve rockets. If you've ever set off a bottle rocket in your backyard on 4th of July, that's a small version of a congreve rocket.

SUSAN STAMBERG: She explained whether watermelon is a fruit?

KM: It can also be considered a vegetable because it's in the same family as cucumbers in gourds.

LEILA FADEL: Malesky started in the NPR broadcast library in the 1980s. NPR special correspondent Susan Stamberg says she was Google long before there was a Google.

SUSAN STAMBERG: I always believed over the years that she knew everything. And what she did was done with such enthusiasm.

CH: Colleagues of the late NPR research librarian, Kee Malesky -- Susan Stamberg, Leila Fadel, and Michel Martin. Ms. Malesky died on the weekend at the age of 74.

[jazz]

D.C. Exhibit Cancellation

Guest: Andil Gosine

CH: For three years, Andil Gosine put his heart and soul into curating a dream exhibit. Only for that dream to end abruptly just weeks before it opened. Mr. Gosine is a professor at York University in Toronto. His exhibit, Nature’s Wild, was set to debut at the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C. on March 21st. But without warning, on Valentine's Day, the museum pulled the plug – citing budget constraints and unforeseen circumstances. Mr. Gosine suspects there’s more to the story. We reached him in New York City.

NK: Professor, how did you find out that your exhibit was not going to be shown? That it was going to be cancelled?

ANDIL GOSINE: I had pneumonia. And my phone rang at 9 a.m., and it was the museum. I didn't answer because I had no voice. And then, she texted and said, I need to talk to you now, and delivered the news that -- without explanation -- my exhibition, she was directed to cancel my exhibition.

NK: Those were the words, I've been directed to cancel your exhibition. That's all they said?

AG: Yes, yes, yes. This is someone I had worked with since 2017, and had a very good relationship. I don't think we've had one bad email, or you know, bad word in that time. So truthfully, I just was, I was worried about her. And then, when the phone, when we off that very short phone call, then it started to hit me that all this work I've done for three years and beyond is done, is gone. This project is dead.

NK: You were blindsided. How have you come to terms with it now?

AG: The first 10 days were full of despair. I've never put more time, money, or heart into a project. I've never been more vulnerable in a project. And this was to be the pinnacle of what is now 15 years of work in the arts.

NK: And what is the central idea behind Nature's Wild? Give our listeners a glimpse in, in what they wont, at this point, be able to see.

AG: It's about thinking about the work we do to contain our animality. So, how do we operate in the world so that our own wildness is contained? And how is that a different experience for different people? I think of myself as a young migrant moving to Canada, being very aware that I could have no second chances in that context, that I had to be a really good student, a really well-behaved boy.

NK: And it begins with this lovely photo of you, you're three years old.

AG: The picture is important because it would have been the most visible part of the show. It was going to be blown up as a giant banner across the front of the museum. The museum is in a very prominent location on the way to and from the White House. [chuckling] So if you were going to the White House, or you're coming from the white House, the chances of you seeing that little boy was pretty good.

NK: In saying that, I think it's telling. But, but to underline, why do you think -- if it was not what it was described as to you, unforeseen circumstances -- what do you think is at the heart of this? Why would there be a concern after three years of putting this together?

AG: Only the gallery and only one Canadian in particular can, can answer that, which is the head of the Organization of American States, the secretary which delivered the instruction to cancel the show, ironically. But, in fact, they have not even said it's due to unforeseen circumstances. They've given no explanation at all. In, in letters requested from them, they've refused to state a reason to the media. So, as a researcher, I set about to do research. And what I found is the day before the cancellation, Donald Trump had made an executive order stating that he, he wanted the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to look at international agencies like the Organization of American States, and come back in six months, and report what they were doing to determine if the U.S. should continue to contribute money. And in that executive order, there's language about conforming to the political agenda of the current government. So, as a researcher, with no explanation, and of course, I can hypothesize, I can only make a guess. What I know is for three years, up to the night of the, you know, up to the very end, I worked with people who were 100 per cent behind the show. That executive order is issued. The Organization of American States Secretariat receives its largest bulk of funding from the U.S. government, which in 2024 was around $55 million. And so, I look at these and I think, well, well, that can't be a coincidence.

NK: And your show wasn't the only one. There was another featuring Black artists from across the Western Hemisphere. What, if anything, have you heard from them?

AG: In fact, it's a little bit of a different case from what I understand. Because they were directly funded by the U.S. government. Where mine was not. Mine was funded through primarily Canada Council, but also through prize money and fellowships. And the U.S. government had not contributed a dollar to the production of the work, or to the opening, or to the program. And you mentioned Black artists, and I know all of the headlines have said Black and queer show canceled. I have never referred to my show as a queer show. Yes, that little boy is the cover and the centre of the show. But quite a lot of the artists are white, some are Indigenous, some are Asian, most are Canadian, some are gay, some are straight. But none of these things really matter to me in the formation of this show.

NK: We've also heard this administration, and even last night, the U.S. President talking about free speech in the United States. This seems directly at odds with that.

AG: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, that, that has, there's so many contradictions with Donald Trump. I can tell you, I know he's someone who appreciates art. He wouldn't have taken over the Kennedy Center if he didn't know how powerful art was. He can read and manipulate the worst parts of the human condition. But like an artist, he's thinking about the human condition.

NK: Is there any chance that your show will be seen now?

AG: I feel very committed to at least bringing the work to audiences that I invited my collaborators to make, and also to the writing. I hope to be able to firm up plans and to announce them probably in 10 days or so, about different venues that are reaching out. Small venues, not venues that can hold the whole show. But I'm really moved by how people, especially people with very few resources, have reached out when they heard the story and asked, what can I do? You know, it's, I feel like I've also learned that people closer to power that I might have turned to first thinking they're experienced and safe may not be as brave as, as artists who have very little, as people who are willing to risk a lot more for the right to speech, for democratic governance, and, you know, for our futures.

NK: Andil, I'm glad we could speak. Thank you.

AG: Thanks so much.

CH: Andil Gosine's art exhibit was cancelled by the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C. just weeks before its debut. We reached Mr. Gosine in New York City. As It Happens contacted the Art Museum of the Americas for comment. But we did not hear back before airtime.

[ambient]

FOA: France Last Supper

CH: The Olympic Games always generate a lot of conversation -- whether it's about the astonishing athletic achievements of humans doing the seemingly impossible, or an Australian breakdancer hopping like a kangaroo. But this year, some of the talk around the summer Olympics had nothing to do with sports, or athletes. The artistic director of the Paris Games, Thomas Jolly, came in for criticism for aspects of the opening ceremony -- in particular, a scene featuring drag queens as Greek gods. People misinterpreted it as a parody of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper. Mr. Jolly was targeted on social media, receiving death threats, attacks on his sexual orientation, and insults related to false claims of personal connections to Israel. Well, this week, seven people went on trial in Paris on charges of cyberbullying. Thomas Jolly wasn't the only target of that vitriol. In August, guest-host Stephanie Skenderis spoke to Nicky Doll, a drag queen who was invited to perform at the opening ceremony -- and decided to sue British actor and right-wing commentator Laurence Fox for defamation.

SOUNDCLIP

NICKY DOLL: And I did have some nice conversations with some people that are Christians that just, were not coming at me by attacking me or insulting me or made me feel, that I was less then, and to them, we were discussing online. And once they realized that The Last Supper was not, the representation that we were trying to convey, then they felt much more appreciative of, of what we were doing. But of course, that was not always the kind of message that I received. I received a lot of death threats, a lot of very, very graphic homophobic messages. And I think that a lot of people that have been very vocal on social media have used this as a vessel to really unleash, their homophobia, fatphobia, racism and homophobia.

SS: And out of all of the hateful and cruel comments that you've received, there was only one that inspired you to take legal action. Why are you suing Laurence Fox?

ND: Laurence Fox has been, using the words like paedophilia or deviant, around people that are either, homosexuals or trans people or, or gender non-conforming. And I think that to me, this is way more damaging than receiving the kind of message that I've really received all my life as a kid. So when someone is calling me the F-word, for example, it's not going to affect me the same way that if someone is calling me a paedophile, I work a lot as a drag artist to make sure that queer people, even young queer people like kids, do not go through the things that I've been through or the things that people of other generations have been through before me, in order that everybody feels better. So, when someone is calling me a paedophile, it just hits different, because that could not be more polar opposite of what I am. It is also incredibly damaging to my career and it just defamation. And so, I felt instead of suing people that I do not know that are hiding behind trolls’ accounts. Why not sue someone that actually is a powerful person that knows exactly what he's doing, he's instrumentalizing queer people to his own benefit. And I'm going to show people, powerful or not, that queer people are not weak. We have been fighting for our rights for the longest time, and it is time now that we use them in order to protect ourselves.

CH: From Our Archives, that was Nicky Doll, speaking to guest host Stephanie Skenderis in August.

[vocalization]

Shuan Majumder

CH: Shuan Majumder is feeling some true repatriate love. The Newfoundland and Labrador actor and comedian has been living in Los Angles for many years. He settled down there and started a family. But he recently decided he'd had enough of America. So, they packed up the car and drove home to Canada for good. He talked to the CBC's Heather Barrett about moving to Halifax -- a decision he made right after the LA wildfires.

SOUNDCLIP

SUHAN MAJUMDER: I ran out of a burning building with my youngsters under my arm and my wife on my back. I'm like, get me out of here. This is crazy! No, we've been, we've been kind of, like, mulling over, you know, a big change over the last six to eight months, to be honest. You know, everything that's going on with the world right now has really enforced and kind of justified this move. And I feel incredible that we are here with the family in Atlantic Canada. There's no place I'd rather be right now. The feeling of being back in Canada, it's a unique feeling. It's different. I think, because everything is so heightened down there. Everything is so elevated right now. To come back to Canada, Regardless of the political situation here, it feels like this is stable. It feels safe. It feels sensible. You know, things can go sideways in Canada, of course. And there's lots of divide. And we've got so many problems up here in Canada, of course. Health care is, you know, on the, is being strained, all of that. But still.

HEATHER BARRETT: So, in terms of your career, how is it going to work for you now being in Halifax?

SM: Oh, it's going to be amazing. I can't wait. You know, I've always been drawn to telling Canadian stories. I've always wanted to, to write and create stories about Canada within Canada. As a standup, I can tour across this country, which I can't wait to do. I've got some shows coming up I'm really excited about. From a safe, comfortable place, especially, you know, with the family, two young girls, my wife, myself, Atlantic. Canada, yeah, there's no place I'd rather be.

CH: Actor and comedian Shaun Majumder talking to Heather Barrett of CBC St. John's. You can hear the full interview on Sunday morning on Weekend AM in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The AIH Transcript For March 6, 2025

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